My 2014 list of Michigan’s most dangerous intersections

March 16, 2015by Steven Gursten

Here are the most perilous spots, by car accidents, injuries and deaths, based upon new Michigan State Police data

It’s time to announce the most dangerous intersections in all of Michigan for 2014. We’ve created and included two new lists for the year. The first has the most dangerous areas by total overall number of car crashes. The second has the locations that have resulted in crashes with the highest numbers of injuries and fatalities.

The information comes from the Michigan State Police Traffic Crash Reporting Unit, which compiles crash reports for every intersection in the state. Our attorneys take this data, review it and post the results every year to warn drivers what areas are most dangerous, and what streets you’d do well to avoid. We also identify and submit these trends to Michigan’s Department of Transportation, so our roads can be made more safe for us all.

Top 10 Michigan intersections with the highest number of car accidents in 2014

These numbers are based upon total number of motor vehicle accidents. This includes all crashes, whether that be for vehicle damage only, or involving someone injured or killed. It’s important to note that most of these car accidents are fender benders.

When we compare this list to 2013 data, the same two most dangerous intersections continue to be in the top:

Ford Road and Haggerty Road in Canton, and

Orchard Lake Road and 12 Mile Road in Farmington Hills.

These two very busy corners have also been in Michigan Auto Law’s top 10 list of our state’s most dangerous intersections for several years. Unfortunately, when you combine a high traffic intersection, all in close proximity to retail stores and an interstate ramp, the result spikes of the number of wrecks.

We also have a new number No. 1 intersection: The corner of South State and West Ellsworth Roads which is on the border of Ann Arbor and Pittsfield Township. This area ranked No. 11 in 2013 with 61 total crashes, but increased drastically in 2014 to 170 total crashes.

How does one intersection see over double the amount of car crashes in one year and have almost twice as many crashes as the second intersection on our list? Next week, I’ll explain what makes this intersection so dangerous.

Top 10 Michigan intersections with the most car accident injuries and fatalities in 2014

These numbers are accidents that include injuries and fatalities only. Given that over 75% of all accidents result in vehicle damage only, these numbers are lower, yet more dangerous.

When you look at these accidents within 250 feet of any intersection, we see that once again, the Clinton Township intersection of Cass Avenue and Groesbeck Highway holds the No. 1 spot statewide — with 25 injury and/or fatality crashes last year. This is just one less than the 2013 data. For more details as to what makes this intersection so dangerous, take a look at my blog post, “What is the most dangerous intersection in all of Michigan?”

Unfortunately, we once again see the area of Ford and Haggerty Roads in Canton as the No. 2 intersection, as it was in 2013. The good news is, this intersection went from 24 car accidents in 2013 to 20 in 2014.

Comparing the rest of this list to the data from 2013, we see that with the exception of the first two intersections on this list, all the other areas and locations are new.

Our auto attorneys will next begin sharing lists by county and city for most dangerous roads and intersections. Stay tuned.

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